1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to drawer slides and more particularly to a lock and release mechanism for slide assembly with improved characteristics.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a slide is employed to enable the relative movement of a drawer and a cabinet, a computer desk and a keyboard shelf, or the like. A conventional slide comprises an outer member, an intermediate member, and an inner member. For example in the drawer and cabinet configuration, outer member is affixed to the wall of cabinet, inner member is affixed to the side of drawer, and intermediate member is slidably received in outer member for holding inner member in a sliding relationship. Typically, a ball bearing mechanism is employed to interconnect above any two adjacent members. Hence, inner member and intermediate member may coaxially move respect to outer member. Thus drawer is permitted to remove to its maximum extension or retract into the cabinet. Typically, a stop mechanism such as latch is employed to lock slide in a fully extended position (also called as locked out position) when slide reaches its maximum extension. At this time, intermediate member and outer member are held in place by the latch. Hence, load (e.g., drawer) supported by inner member is also held in this place. One such latch based lock and release mechanism in cooperation with inner member, intermediate member, and outer member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,212, which is incorporated herein by reference. In this prior art, intermediate member is held by a locking device in a locked out position with respect to outer member. This locking device has a latch held on the intermediate member having a stop surface at the inner end thereof and a cam surface extending in the path of travel of the inner member. When the inner member is released and moves inwardly, its inner end contacts the latch and releases the intermediate member with respect to the outer member thus permitting the slide to be completely retracted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lock and release mechanism for slide such that an intermediate member is held in place when slide is pulled out to a fully extended position also known as locked out position.
In one aspect of the present invention, a flexible strip has one end attached to the intermediate member. The flexible strip is lowered toward the outer member when the intermediate member has moved to the locked out position. A stop member is situated near the front end of outer member. The flexible strip has a trigger member capable of lifting together with the flexible strip to disengage from the stop member as retracting the inner member, thereby releasing the lock and release mechanism.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the trigger member is lifted by a cam plate on the rear end of the inner member.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the trigger member is lifted by a cam while extending the inner member.
In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the trigger member is lifted by a lever while extending the inner member.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.